Tickle Monster

Chapter 2

Teegan's POV

I collapsed on the bed in a sweaty mess. It was the end of spring and summer was fast-approaching. I had just finished unpacking and I called Jade in to make sure I did everything correctly.

When she entered, there was a flash of something that went across her face, anger maybe or fear? I decided to dismiss it and yawned loudly. It was almost time to exchange presents and I wanted to go first.

Pajamas were put on, good nights were said and becoming cozy on bedding was most definitely had

"So any guesses as to what I might of gotten you?" I smiled goofily at her.

"No, it better be good though." She smiled back, almost uncharacteristically timidly but again I decided to ignore it.

I pulled out a small cardboard box and handed it to her. "Be gentle." I warned and beamed.

She opened up the box and pulled out a delicate silver necklace. It was very simple but her face lit up like a light bulb. She immediately had me fasten it around her neck and played gently with it like a child.

"Your turn." She announced.

She reached underneath her bed and pulled out an old Polaroid camera. Proudly, as if holding up a trophy. I could feel myself smiling from ear to ear as she handed it to me.

"This is sort of cool I guess, my present was better though." I told her and winked.

"Hey! Wait what are you doin-" The flash was blinding and we both needed to close our eyes for a second. I waved the photo around in the air and waited impatiently for it to be ready. It's weird it had any film at all.

When it was entirely ready, I noticed something sort of misty in the background. I couldn't make out the details and I showed it to Jade.

"It's  just your shadow on the wall, ya idiot." She rolled her eyes at my expression.

I wasn't completely in agreement and I looked closely at the shadowy figure as it seemed to become more and more clear until I could see something there very easily.

It appeared to have pale skin that stretched in long string-like pieces over muscle on its long, misshapen arms. The beast or creature or whatever had a pointy nose and a mouth that was curved into a grotesquely creepy smile. It's eyes were as devoid of goodness and light as they were of any color except black. It seemed to speak of true evil and I felt a chill deep into every part of my body. And then a flicker of something deep in my mind... recognition?

I handed the photo over to Jade and watched her expression closely as she looked over it again. I wasn't surprised to see fear and the tiniest bit of recognition flash in her eyes. My heart thumped so hard against my chest I thought it would jump out.

"You can't say I'm making it up Jade." I almost whispered.

Of course she being the one who would never believe in anything even slightly paranormal disagreed strongly. But I saw her face and even if she tries to, she can't truly say she wasn't shaken to the core by the figure in the photo.

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When I was laying in bed, trying desperately to go to sleep to escape the feeling I was being watched, I finally realized where I recognized that creature in the photo from and why something so little as a small figure in the background of a photo taken from an old camera made me feel so unnerved.

When Jade and I were little we used to tell each other horror stories, usually having the theme of childhood things gone bad. One time she drew a picture to match her story, Tickle Monster.

I had nightmares for weeks and would wake up drenched in sweat. I never told Jade why I would suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, but she would always send me these looks as if I had just lost someone and was delicate. It was the only story that either of us told during that time that I remembered.

The figure in the photo perfectly matches the one she drew for her story.

Jade's POV

I woke up in the middle of the night, my throat feeling like it had been stripped out to dry under a desert sun. I hurried to the bathroom, ignoring the butterflies on steroids pecking at my stomach as I hobbled through the dark hall. I closed the door and locked it, and then checked to make sure.

I don't know what came over me but I couldn't force myself to open the bathroom door again. And when I say this, I'm saying this after I pleaded and begged myself to. I'll just have to say tomorrow morning I wanted an early shower as I snuggled into the bathtub with a towel wrapped around me.

I didn't want to be in this house anymore.